It's the season for science ... and winter formals

The Villa Park Winter Formal Court was announced during a school assembly. The queen and king, Marisa Doran and Nick Vega, were announced at the formal dance last Saturday. COURTESY OF KURT JUPIN/PSS IMAGING

It is Winter Formal time, and clever and creative invitations are the talk of the high school campuses. Banners, locker decorations, even surfboards, apps and goldfish bowls are being used to creatively invite and respond to dance invitations.

It is also Science Season, as schools prepare for science nights at their respective schools and upcoming competitions.

VILLA PARK HIGH WINTER FORMAL

The Winter Formal Court was crowned at a school assembly in preparation for the annual dance, which took place on Saturday. Court members are Brenda Martinez, Alyssa Canuso, Marisa Doran, Stephanie Lee, Deepa Shaw, Rachael Van Skike, Sam Shackelford, Nick Ko, Nick Vega, Andrew Billiter, Parker Kjellin-Elder and Casey Hershfield. At the dance, Doran was crowned queen, and Vega was king.

VILLA PARK ELEMENTARY HISTORY LESSON

History came alive for the sixth-grade students who participated in a Walk Through the Ancient World on campus. The students donned costumes reflecting the time period, and enjoyed games, food and cultural activities of those times.

EL RANCHO CHARTER PROGRAMS

El Rancho recently held two important programs: a teens and technology safety presentation for parents and a career day for students.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department Juvenile Services focused on the dangers of social media, the Internet and cell phones in a presentation to a group of about 180 parents. They advised that Assembly Bill 746 added "a post on a social network Internet website" to the definition of "bullying," and provided a listing of "red flags" to look for regarding your teen's use of electronic devices.

Students had the opportunity to learn about and ask questions of professionals in a variety of careers during their career day. More than 25 career fields were represented, including internal medicine and cardiology, funeral director, attorney, police officer, professional musician, animator, financial analysis and court reporter.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF ORANGE

The foundation is best known for its Foundation Games, an annual track and field event for Orange Unified-area students that serves as the jumping block for participation in district and state meets. The meet will be held April 13. Participation in the games has increased every year since its inception in 2004, growing from an initial 600 students to 1,800.

The games require a cadre of volunteers, many of whom begin at 6 a.m. and go home after 10 p.m. Some 400 volunteers keep the events moving, the participants in the correct place and even, one year, held onto tent posts to keep the tents from flying away in gusty winds. The safety of the students is the primary concern, and the police and fire officials and volunteers make certain the students stay hydrated and are released only to the appropriate parents or guardians. Free water – approximately 200 gallons – is supplied to the participants, and two golf carts constantly circulate, dispensing water to the athletes. To date, there have been no injuries.

The games also require funding, as participation is free for all students. The foundation primarily relies on sponsors and private donations to support their community programs. It was originally founded in 2002 as an offshoot of the city's Parks and Recreation Division to raise awareness and funds for the Grijalva Gym. In 2003, the foundation became a separate entity, with the intention of providing more programs for the community. It succeeded in raising $600,000 for renovations of the Fred Kelly field.

The foundation has 25 active board members who share a passion for the Orange community and its children. They are seeking individual donors, business sponsors and in-kind contributions so that they may continue and grow the Foundation Games and additional community programs. Helping with fundraising will be the group's gala – A Walk Through Orange: Black and White and Orange All Over. The gala will also honor past Orange Mayor Carolyn Cavecche. It will be held March 1 at the Sandu Conference Center at Chapman University.

For gala information or table sponsorships, or for more information about the many community programs, contact Susie Cunningham, executive director of the Community Foundation of Orange at 714-288-9909, or see community foundationoforange.org Email Cunningham at info@communityfoundationoforange.org.

MCPHERSON MAGNET SCHOOL

Students in the MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement Program) at McPherson are playing with eggs, mousetraps and straws. They are under the watchful eye of teacher Judy Denenny and helpful parent volunteers, preparing for serious competition in the district MESA meet, to be held at UCI on March 9.

They will utilize their knowledge of drag, tension and velocity, as their racecar, powered by a mousetrap, tries to travel the longest distance and not deviate from a narrow path. Or, in the Stick Together competition, the proper strength-to-weight ratio must be achieved for their popsicle stick bridge to hold the most weight. The EggXpress event requires that a container be designed so the most raw eggs inside survive the impact after being dropped to the ground. Other competitions include Balsawood Glider, Prosthetic Arm and Human Eye.

Denenny, recently selected as one of McPherson's top Teachers of the Year, has been coaching the teams during and after school hours. A former architect, Denenny determined that she preferred "building students" as opposed to buildings. She has been teaching for 23 years, and has found that "students that are engaged in science activities read more."

Send your school news and photos to Andrea Mills at OCSchoolNews@aol.com.

The Villa Park Winter Formal Court was announced during a school assembly. The queen and king, Marisa Doran and Nick Vega, were announced at the formal dance last Saturday. COURTESY OF KURT JUPIN/PSS IMAGING
El Rancho students Ryan Reddish and Zachary Miller discuss Hazardous Waste with County of Orange Environmental Health Division's Christine Lane at the annual El Rancho Career Day. COURTESY OF EL RANCHO MIDDLE SCHOOL
Students compete in the annual Foundation Games, the track and field event for all students in the Orange Unified School District boundaries, sponsored by the Community Foundation of Orange. COURTESY OF COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF ORANGE
McPherson Magnet School teacher Judy Denenny explains the mechanics of the mousetrap-driven car to the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement Program students, as parent-helper Scott Halperin looks on. COURTESY OF MCPHERSON MAGNET SCHOOL
Jenna Opp, 11, and Carolyn Naples, 12, both sixth graders at McPherson Magnet School, work on their mousetrap car for the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement Program competition. COURTESY OF MCPHERSON MAGNET SCHOOL
Techer Judy Denenny answers questions about the Model Eye for Trinity Shield, Aubrey Adams and Michelle Truong, all sixth graders. COURTESY OF MCPHERSON MAGNET SCHOOL
Hailey Fink, 11, shows her mousetrap-powered car. The McPherson Magnet School students will compete with one another, and the top teams will represent the school at the Math, Engineering, Science Achievement Program competition. COURTESY OF MCPHERSON MAGNET SCHOOL

1 of

User Agreement

Keep it civil and stay on topic. No profanity, vulgarity, racial
slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about
tragedies will be blocked. By posting your comment, you agree to
allow Orange County Register Communications, Inc. the right to
republish your name and comment in additional Register publications
without any notification or payment.